Volume Ii Part 15 (1/2)
CHAPTER XVII
”Hullo! Are you come back?”
The speaker was George Tressady. He was descending the steps of his club in Fall Mall, and found his arm caught by Naseby, who had just dismissed his hansom outside.
”I came back last night. Are you going homewards? I'll walk across the Square with you.”
The two men turned into St. James's Square, and Naseby resumed:
”Yes, we had a most lively campaign. Maxwell spoke better than I ever heard him.”
”The speeches have been excellent reading, too. And you had good meetings?”
”Splendid! The country is rallying, I can tell you. The North is now strong for Maxwell and the Bill--or seems to be.”
”Just as we are going to kick it out in the House! It's very queer--for no one could tell, a month ago, how the big towns were going. And it looked as though London even were deserting them.”
”A mere wave, I think. At least, I'll bet you anything they'll win this Stepney election. Shall we get the division on the hours clause to-morrow?”
”They say so.”
”If you know your own interests, you'll hurry up,” said Naseby, smiling.
”The country is going against you.”
”I imagine Fontenoy has got his eye on the country! He's been letting the Socialists talk nonsense till now to frighten the steady-going old fellows on the other side or putting up our men to mark time. But I saw yesterday there was a change.”
”Between ourselves, hasn't he been talking a good deal of nonsense on his own account?”
Naseby threw a glance of laughing inquiry at his companion. George shrugged his shoulders in silence. It had become matter of public remark during the last few days that Fontenoy was beginning at last to show the strain of the combat--that his speeches were growing hysterical and his rule a tyranny. His most trusted followers were now to be heard grumbling in private over certain aspects of his bearing in the House. He had come into damaging collision with the Speaker on one or two occasions, and had made here and there a blunder in tactics which seemed to show a weakening of self-command. Tressady, indeed, knew enough to wonder that the man's nerve and coolness had maintained themselves in their fulness so long.
”So Maxwell took a party to the North?” said George, dropping the subject of Fontenoy.
”Lady Maxwell, of course--myself, Bennett, and Madeleine Penley. It was a pleasure to see Lady Maxwell. She has been dreadfully depressed in town lately. But those trade-union meetings in Lancas.h.i.+re and Yorks.h.i.+re were magnificent enough to cheer anyone up.”
George shook his head.
”I expect they come too late to save the Bill.”
”I daresay. Well, one can't help being tremendously sorry for her. I thought her looking quite thin and ill over it. It makes one doubt about women in politics! Maxwell will take it a deal more calmly, unless one misunderstands his cool ways. But I shouldn't wonder if _she_ had a breakdown.”
George made no reply. Naseby talked a little more about Maxwell and the tour, the critical side of him gaining upon the sympathetic with every sentence. At the corner of King Street he stopped.
”I must go back to the club. By the way, have you heard anything of Ancoats lately?”
George made a face.
”I saw him in a hansom last night, late, crossing Regent Circus with a young woman--_the_ young woman, to the best of my belief.”